Apparatus for handling seed-cotton.



PATENTED MAY 3, 1904.

C. R. BENEPIELD. APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SEED GTTON.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented May 3, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SEED-COTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent` No. 759,151, dated May 3,1904.

Application tiled May 5, 1903. Serial No. 155,744. (No model.)

To @ZZ whoa/L t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, CHAUNOEY R. BENE- FIELD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas,have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for HandlingSeed-Cotton, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatos to an apparatus for handling seed-cotton; and theprimary object of the invention is to provide a simple and effectiveapparatus of this character for rapidly drawing ,seed-cotton from awagon, storagehouse, or the like and delivering same to ginningmechanism, means being providedfor cleaning the cotton in transit.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be recited at lengthin the following description, while the novelty thereof will constitutethe basis of the claims succeeding such description.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a sectional elevation of myimproved apparatus, and Fig. 2 is adetail sectional plan of the thresherforming part of the same.

Like characters refer to like parts in both figures.

Referring' to the drawings, the numeral 2 denotes the vacuum or cottonbox of the apparatus, the same being made of any desirable size ormaterial. ,A pneumatic tube or conveyer 3 for the seed-cotton opens intowhat is illustrated as the upper rear side of the box, a suction-pipe 4ileading from the lower front corner of said vacuum or cotton boX. Inconnection with the suction pipe or iiue 4: an eX- haust-fan (not shown)cooperates, it serving its usual function. Upon the operation of the fanand when the entering end of the pneumatic conveyer or tube is placedinto proximity to a body of seed-cotton such cotton will be drawn intothe pneumatic tube or conveyer 3 and into the vacuum or cotton box 2.The said vacuum or cotton box, it will be seen, is approximately ofarcuate form and houses or incloses the separating-screen 5, which eX-tends from the delivery end of said pneumatic tube or conveyer 3 to theinner end of the suction flue or tube 4. The screen 5 is shown boing ofcurved form, and the seed-cotton as it enters the cotton-box strikes theinner surface of thescreen tangentially, the cotton at the same timebeing given a downward impetus, which causes it to enter thedeliverychute 6, depending' from the vacuum or cotton boX. As the cottontraverses the inner surface of the screen, a great deal of the dirt andother objectionable matter therein is draw through the meshes of thescreen by the exhaust-fan.

The cotton after it leaves the chute 6 is delivered in some suitable wayto ginning mechanism for treatment thereby; but as such ginningmechanism forms no part of the present invention it is not illustratedin the drawings.

At the inlet end of the vacuum-box 2 I arrange a spreader, which is ofskeleton forni, consisting of a plurality of rods 9, diverging outwardfrom a rock-shaft l0, carrying the same. The upper sides of the rods areprovided with teeth 11, separated from each other and diagonallydisposed with respect to said bars 9. The shaft 10 is supported bysuitable bearings in the boX 2 near the inlet, said shaft being locatedat the lower side of the inlet and the spreader extending normallyupward and outward at an angle therefrom, so that the teeth 11 arepresented to the cotton as it enters the :vacuum-box. The rockingspreader constructed as just described serves to scatter the cotton asthe same strikes thespreader in order that the latter will distributethe cotton evenly upon the inner surface of the screen 5. The teeth 11,as stated, are separated from each other, and to prevent any of thecotton falling down below the same I fasten tothe under side of the rodsor bars 9 ascreen 12. This screen is of amesh sufficient to permit anysand that may be in the mass to pass therethrough into the sand-box 13,but is not coarse enough to permit the escape of the cottontherethrough.The sand after it drops from the spreader of course enters the sand-boxand may be removed therefrom at intervals by way of the outlet thereof,such outlet being furnished with a sliding valve or sluice 14.

The spreader is yieldingly mounted, the shaft 10 being furnished with aweighted arm l5, which acts inV opposition to the spreader and theweight of which serves to hold said IOO spreader normally in its workingposition. When, however, the cotton becomes choked between the upperside of the spreader and the adjacent portion of the screen, the saidspreader will yield or drop down to permit the obstruction to pass, andafter the same occurs the weight upon the arm 15 will return thespreader to its initial position.

A tubular extension 16 is shown as connected with the forwardside of thevacuumbox in proximity to the suction-Hue 4, it being furnishedinteriorl y with an inwardly-opening valve 16, represented as of diskform. The tubular extension 16 is of approximately angular or elbow formand has upon its upper Aside on the interior thereof1 anl annular seat17 for the disk valve, the stem of the valve extending upward therefromthrough a spider 18, mounted upon the top of the tubular extension andbeing' pivoted to the short arm of a weighted lever 19, fulcrumed upon asuitable bearing upon the tubular extension, the weight 20 of the leverbeing' adjustably connected thereto. rIhe weig'ht acting' through theintermediate lever serves to maintain the valve 16 normally closed. Thevalve 16 constitutes an automatic pop or safety valve and its peculiarutility will now appear. It is the custom to connect a telescopic pipeto the pneumatic conveyer; but such telescopic pipe is not illustrated.It happens that in thrusting the telescopic pipe into a wagon orcottonhouse the inlet thereof will be suddenly closed, so as to shut offthe entrance of air thereinto. In such a case as this the fan beingunder motion would be apt to cause injury to the piping and other partsof the apparatus. The valve 16 upon such stoppage of the telescopic pipeis automatically opened by the suction of the fan, so that thepossibility of breakage of the piping' or injury to any other of theparts is thereby prevented. At the same time an even motion of the fanis assured by reason of the fact that uniform suction is secured.

In the upper side of the suction-flue is an opening normally closed bythe valve 22,which is mounted for swinging motion in said opening and toone end of which is connected aA suitable cord 23, the cord extendingupward from the valve, then rearward over suitable guide pulleys orsheaves, and then downward, terminating in a handle 24, which may bepulled down by the g'inner to open said valve 22, thereby to stop thesuction through the vacuum-box 2, and hence through the pneumaticconveyer 3, whereby the drawing' of cotton through said pneumaticconveyer and suction-box by the fan is positively prevented. 'Ihe handle24 is within easy reach of the ginner, so that he can stop the passageofthe cotton through the pneumatic conveyer at any time withoutnotifying the feeders at the cotton-house or wagon.

The pneumatic conveyer 3 adjacent to the vacuum-box 2 has in its bottomrotary dampervalve 25. The stem of the valve is supported by suitablebearings upon the said` pneumatic conveyer and terminates in a handle 25in proximity to the other handle, 24. The purpose of the rotatingdamper-valve 25 is to regulate the Vacuum in accordance with the feed ofthe cotton. If the cotton comes too rapidly, the valve will be turned bythe manipulation of the handle 25l in order to bring its slots intoregistration with those in the pneumatic conveyer to thereby admit themaximum amount of atmospheric air into said pneumatic conveyer, andconsequently into the vaccum-box. The amount of air admitted will ofcourse vary with the volume of cotton entering the vacuum-box. If theamount of cotton entering said box is considerable, the supply may bedecreased by manipulating said handle 25. To resume normal conditions,the valve will be turned to cause the imperforate portion to cover theslots.

To prevent the adherence of the cotton at the lower end of the screenupon the inner surface thereof, and consequently the clogging of saidcotton in the lower end of the cotton or vacuum box 2, I provide in saidcotton or vacuum box adjacent to the lower end of the screen and uponthe outer side thereof one or a plurality of overlapping blades 26,which are disposed as shown. These blades cover the screen near itslower end, so as to check or lessen the air being drawn through thescreen at such place, but do not prevent the free entrance of the cottoninto the cotton-box.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of avacuum-box, a pneumatic conveyer and a suction-tube connectedrespectively with the upper and lower ends of the vacuum-box at oppositesides thereof, a screen extending between the pneumatic conveyer and thesuction-tube, and a suctionchecking device on the outside of the screennear the lower end thereof, spaced from said screen.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination ofavacuum-box, a pneumatic conveyer and a suction-tube connectedrespectively with the upper and lower ends of the vacuum-box at oppositesides thereof, a screen extending between the pneumatic conveyer and thesuction-tube, and a suctionchecking device on the outside of the screennear the lower end thereof, spaced from said screen and consisting of aplurality of overlapping blades.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of avacuum-box, a pneumatic conveyer and a suction-tube connected with saidvacuum-box, a screen extending between the pneumatic conveyer and thesuction-tube,

a spreader at the inlet end of the vacuunrbox mounted for oscillatorymotion about an axis at the lower side oi said inlet, the spreaderserving to control the delivery of the cotton against said screen andincluding a plurality of rods provided with teeth on their upper sides,a screen carried by the spreader upon the under side thereof, and avalved sand-box connected with the vacuum-box under the spreader.

'In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- HGSSGS.

CHAUNGEY R. BENEFIELD. Witnesses:

J. C. HARDIsoN, J. N. XVHAR'roN.

